title: Primary sclerosing cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma: pathogenesis and modes of diagnostics.
abstract: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease caused by progressive inflammation of the intra- and extrahepatic bile duct system. PSC patients have an increased risk to develop hepatobiliary as well as extrahepatic malignancies. The goal of a surveillance strategy for hepatobiliary malignancy in these patients is the detection of early cancer which will allow a potentially curative therapy. Here, we focus on a conceptual review of the pathogenesis of cholangiocellular carcinoma and gallbladder cancer and we will discuss a rational approach for the surveillance of these malignancies in PSC patients.
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Research Centre 841, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. h.ehlken@uke.de
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ehlken
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schramm
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans